Transceiver assembly having an improved receptacle connector

Abstract

A receptacle connector includes contacts having posts and contact tails extending from the posts. The contact tails are configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The contacts have mating sections extending from the posts. The mating sections are configured for mating with a mating connector. The contacts define signal contacts and ground contacts with the signal contacts arranged in pairs and the pairs of signal contacts being separated by at least one ground contact. The receptacle connector also includes a housing holding the signal and ground contacts in parallel at a predetermined pitch. The housing has a front and a rear with a cavity at the front being configured to receive the mating connector. The housing has walls defining channels that receive the signal and ground contacts. The channels holding the signal contacts have air pockets between the signal contacts such that the amount of air between adjacent signal contacts is greater than the amount of air between signal contacts and adjacent ground contacts.

1. A receptacle connector comprising:
 contacts having posts and contact tails extending from the posts, the contact tails being configured to be mounted to a circuit board, the contacts having mating sections extending from the posts, the mating sections being configured for mating with a mating connector, the contacts defining signal contacts and ground contacts with the signal contacts arranged in pairs, the pairs of signal contacts being separated by at least one ground contact; and 
 a housing holding the signal and ground contacts in parallel at a predetermined pitch, the housing having a front and a rear with a cavity at the front being configured to receive the mating connector, the housing having walls defining channels that receive the signal and ground contacts, the channels holding the signal contacts having air pockets between the signal contacts such that the amount of air between adjacent signal contacts is greater than the amount of air between signal contacts and adjacent ground contacts, the air pockets being located directly between the signal contacts and the walls defining the channels. 
 
     
     
       2. The receptacle connector of  claim 1 , wherein the walls are thicker between the signal contacts and adjacent ground contacts, and wherein the walls are thinner between the adjacent signal contacts within the pair. 
     
     
       3. The receptacle connector of  claim 1 , wherein the channels have wall surfaces, the wall surfaces of the channels holding signal contacts being spaced apart by a first average distance, the wall surfaces of the channels holding ground contacts being spaced apart by a second average distance, the first average distance being greater than the second average distance. 
     
     
       4. The receptacle connector of  claim 1 , wherein the channels have wall surfaces, the contacts having opposed sides, the contacts being loaded into the channels such that the sides face the wall surfaces, the sides of the ground contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by substantially equal distances, the sides of the signal contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by different distances. 
     
     
       5. The receptacle connector of  claim 1 , wherein the channels have wall surfaces, the contacts having opposed sides, the contacts being loaded into the channels such that the sides face the wall surfaces, the sides of the ground contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by substantially equal distances, the side of each signal contact facing the adjacent ground contact being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surface by a first distance, the side of each signal contact facing the adjacent signal contact being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surface by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
     
     
       6. The receptacle connector of  claim 1 , wherein the contacts are stitched into the housing. 
     
     
       7. The receptacle connector of  claim 1 , wherein the contacts define upper contacts with the mating sections being arranged along an upper wall of the housing, the receptacle connector further comprising lower contacts being arranged along a lower wall of the housing, the upper contacts being loaded into the housing through the rear of the housing, the lower contacts being loaded into the housing through the front of the housing. 
     
     
       8. A transceiver assembly comprising:
 a receptacle guide frame configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, the receptacle guide frame having a front being open to an interior space, the receptacle guide frame being configured to receive a pluggable module through the front; and 
 a receptacle connector received within the interior space of the receptacle guide frame at a rear of the receptacle guide frame, the receptacle connector comprising: 
 contacts having posts and contact tails extending from the posts, the contact tails being configured to be mounted to a circuit board, the contacts having mating sections extending from the posts, the mating sections being configured for mating with a mating connector, the contacts defining signal contacts and ground contacts with the signal contacts arranged in pairs, the pairs of signal contacts being separated by at least one ground contact; and 
 a housing holding the signal and ground contacts in parallel at a predetermined pitch, the housing having a front and a rear with a cavity at the front being configured to receive the mating connector, the housing having walls defining channels that receive the signal and ground contacts, the channels holding the signal contacts having air pockets between the signal contacts such that the amount of air between adjacent signal contacts is greater than the amount of air between signal contacts and adjacent ground contacts, the air pockets being located directly between the signal contacts and the walls defining the channels. 
 
     
     
       9. The transceiver assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the walls are thicker between the signal contacts and adjacent ground contacts, and wherein the walls are thinner between the adjacent signal contacts within the pair. 
     
     
       10. The transceiver assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the channels have wall surfaces, the wall surfaces of the channels holding signal contacts being spaced apart by a first average distance, the wall surfaces of the channels holding ground contacts being spaced apart by a second average distance, the first average distance being greater than the second average distance. 
     
     
       11. The transceiver assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the channels have wall surfaces, the contacts having opposed sides, the contacts being loaded into the channels such that the sides face the wall surfaces, the sides of the ground contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by substantially equal distances, the sides of the signal contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by different distances. 
     
     
       12. The transceiver assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the channels have wall surfaces, the contacts having opposed sides, the contacts being loaded into the channels such that the sides face the wall surfaces, the sides of the ground contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by substantially equal distances, the side of each signal contact facing the adjacent ground contact being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surface by a first distance, the side of each signal contact facing the adjacent signal contact being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surface by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
     
     
       13. The transceiver assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the contacts are stitched into the housing. 
     
     
       14. A receptacle connector comprising:
 contacts having posts and contact tails extending from the posts, the contact tails being configured to be mounted to a circuit board, the contacts having mating sections extending from the posts, the mating sections being configured for mating with a mating connector, the contacts defining signal contacts and ground contacts with the signal contacts arranged in pairs, the pairs of signal contacts being separated by at least one ground contact; and 
 a housing holding the signal and ground contacts in parallel at a predetermined pitch, the housing having a front and a rear with a cavity at the front being configured to receive the mating connector, the housing having walls defining signal channels that receive the signal contacts and ground channels that receive the ground contacts, the signal channels having a greater volume than the ground channels; 
 wherein the walls are thicker between the signal contacts and adjacent ground contacts, and wherein the walls are thinner between the adjacent signal contacts within the pair. 
 
     
     
       15. The receptacle connector of  claim 14 , wherein the channels have wall surfaces, the wall surfaces of the signal channels being spaced apart by a first average distance, the wall surfaces of the ground channels being spaced apart by a second average distance, the first average distance being greater than the second average distance. 
     
     
       16. The receptacle connector of  claim 14 , wherein the signal and ground channels have wall surfaces, the signal contacts having opposed sides, the ground contacts having opposed sides, the signal contacts being loaded into the signal channels such that the sides face the wall surfaces of the signal channels, the ground contacts being loaded into the ground channels such that the sides face the wall surfaces of the ground channels, the sides of the ground contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by substantially equal distances, the sides of the signal contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by different distances. 
     
     
       17. The receptacle connector of  claim 14 , wherein the signal and ground channels have wall surfaces, the signal contacts having opposed sides, the ground contacts having opposed sides, the signal contacts being loaded into the signal channels such that the sides face the wall surfaces of the signal channels, the ground contacts being loaded into the ground channels such that the sides face the wall surfaces of the ground channels, the sides of the ground contacts being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surfaces by substantially equal distances, the side of each signal contact facing the adjacent ground contact being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surface by a first distance, the side of each signal contact facing the adjacent signal contact being spaced apart from the corresponding wall surface by a second distance greater than the first distance. 
     
     
       18. The receptacle connector of  claim 14 , wherein the signal and ground contacts are stitched into the housing. 
     
     
       19. The receptacle connector of  claim 14 , wherein the signal and ground contacts define upper contacts with the mating sections being arranged along an upper wall of the housing, the receptacle connector further comprising lower contacts being arranged along a lower wall of the housing, the upper contacts being loaded into the housing through the rear of the housing, the lower contacts being loaded into the housing through the front of the housing.